According to the theory of relativity, as an object moves faster relative to an observer, time appears to slow down for that object relative to a stationary observer. This effect is known as time dilation.
From the perspective of an observer at rest, time appears to pass slower for an object that is moving relative to them. Conversely, from the perspective of the moving object, time appears to pass normally, but it observes that time for the stationary observer is passing faster.
This phenomenon arises due to the interplay between space and time. The theory of special relativity, formulated by Albert Einstein, postulates that the speed of light is constant for all observers, regardless of their relative motion. To preserve this constancy of the speed of light, space and time must undergo transformations as an object's velocity changes.
The equations of special relativity describe the relationship between space, time, and velocity, including time dilation. The equation for time dilation is:
Δt' = Δt / √(1 - (v²/c²)),
where: Δt' is the time interval measured by the moving object, Δt is the time interval measured by the stationary observer, v is the relative velocity between the two objects, and c is the speed of light.
As the relative velocity (v) increases, the term (v²/c²) approaches 1, causing the denominator to approach zero. As a result, Δt' increases, indicating that time appears to slow down for the moving object.
It is essential to note that time dilation is a well-established aspect of relativity theory and has been confirmed through numerous experimental observations and measurements. For example, high-precision atomic clocks on airplanes and satellites have been observed to experience tiny but measurable time dilation effects compared to clocks on the Earth's surface.
Therefore, in the realm of relativistic physics, as an object's velocity increases, time indeed slows down relative to a stationary observer.